Coin collection box

ABSTRACT

A coin collection device for use in self-service parking lots and like establishments which allows a first authorized person visibility of the money received for determining which parking spaces or the like have been paid for, and which allows a second authorized person access to the money. A transparent inner wall and a cover plate prevent the first authorized person from having access to the money received.

ilnited States Patent 11 1 Henderson 1451 Sept. 11,1973

[ COIN COLLECTION BOX [76] Inventor: Stephen H. Henderson, 1279 Woodston, Memphis, Tenn.

22 Filed: May 22,1972

211 App]. 1510.; 255,446

52 vs. Cl 232/1 R 511 Int. Cl. 0071 9/06 58 Field of Search 232/1 R, 1 1), 7, 232/15, 14, 55, 9

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,835,439 5/1958 Care 232/7 3,181,780 5/1965 Abbott..... 232/1 R 3,268,158 8/1966 Abbott..... 232/1 R 3,338,510 8/1967 Martinet 232/1 R 3,542,283 li/1970 Perrill 3,716,183 2/1973 Chaves 232/1 R Primary Examiner-Francis K. Zugel Att0rneyJohn R. Walker, Ill

[57] ABSTRACT A coin collection device for use in self-service parking lots and like establishments which allows a first authorized person visibility of the money received for determining which parking spaces or the like have been paid for, and which allows a second authorized person access to the money. A transparent inner wall and a cover plate prevent the first authorized person from having access to the money received.

9 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures LLLII 111111111 1 coin COLLECTION sox BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates generally to fee collection devices and, more specifically, to coin collection boxes for use in self-service parking lots and like establishments.

2. Description of the Prior Art A preliminary 'patentability search revealed the following U. S. patents: Abbott U.S. Pat. No. 3,181,780; Gold U.S. Pat. No. 3,295,755; Martinet U.S. Pat. No.

. 3,338,510; and Perrill U.S. Pat. No. 3,542,283. Martinet discloses a parking meter in which coins are inserted into various slots, each slot corresponding to a specific period of time. Gold discloses acoin collection box having a removable inner partition divided into numerous stalls for receiving coins. The partition is removed from the collection box to gain access to the money in it. Abbott and Perrill disclose coin collection devices for use in parking lots which use trapdoor-type mechanisms to release the coins after the determination of which parking spaces have beenpaid for. None of the above patents disclose or suggest the present invention; r

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed towards overcomfirst lock means 21. The first lock means 21 may be of the type which includesa lock 23, a first plate 25 attached to the back plate 19 and having a slot 24 passing therethrough, and a second plate: 27 attached to the outer shell 13 and passing through slot 24 when the back plate 19 is mounted on the substantially open ing the disadvantages and problems in previous devices for collecting parking fees and the like from self-service parking lots and like establishments.

The concept of the present invention is to provide a coin collection box with a lockable back plate that can be removed by a first authorized person for viewing through a transparent inner wall money-receiving stalls which correspond to parking spaces to see which parking spaces have beenpaid for. After the first authorized person has determined which parking spaces have been paid for, he then dumps the coins from the stalls into a coin box by pulling the inner wall away from the stalls. A cover-plate'prevents the first authorized person from having access to the coin box and, likewise, the inner wall prevents him from having access to the stalls. A second authorized person removes the coin box with all the parking fees therein.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a coin collection box which is of simple construction so that exposure to weather will not affect its operation, and which allows a first authorized person to determine the parking spaces whichhave been paid for and allows a second authorized person to remove the money.

'BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a front view of the coin collection box.

P10. 2 is a side view of the coin collection box.

P16. 3 is a sectional view taken as on the line III-III of FIG. 1. I

FIG. 4 is a sectional. view similar to FIG. 3 but with some parts in a moved position.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT back 15 of the outer shell 13. The second plate 27 is provided with a hole, not shown, to allow the lock23 to pass through, thereby locking the back plate 19 to the outer shell 13. A substantially U-shaped receiving means 28 is provided on the substantially open back 15 for receiving the lower portion of the back plate 19.

The substantially closed from 17 of the outer shell 13 is provided with a number of coin-receiving slots 29. The slots 29 are provided with identifying marks (not shown) adjacent each slot 29. Each identifying mark corresponds to an identifying mark provided adjacent the parking space or the like. Fixedly attached to the interior of the substantially closed front 17 are coinreceiving shells 31. Each stall 31 is associated with a coin-receiving slot 29. The stalls 31 are downwardlysloping and rearwardly-opening to allow coins passed into the coin-receiving stalls 31 from the coin-receiving slots 29 to pass out of the stalls 31.

, A transparent inner wall 33 is'hingeably mounted to the interior of the outer shell 13 for movement from a first position adjacent the rear of the stalls 31 as shown in FIG. 3 to a second position away from the stalls3l as shown in FIG. 4. The inner wall 33 is hingeably mounted to the interior of the outer shell 13 by means of a hinge 35. A handle 37 is included on the inner wall 33 to facilitate the movement of the inner wall 33 from the first position to the second position. A brace 39 is fixedly attached to the back plate 19 to rest against and coact with the inner wall 33 to prevent the inner wall 33 from moving from the first position to the second position while the back plate 19 ismounted on the substantially open back 15 of the outer shell 13.

An access opening 41 is provided in the substantially closed front 17 below the coin-receiving slots 29 to allow a coin vault 43 to be placed in the outer shell 13 substantially below the coin-receiving stalls 31 and the transparent inner wall 33. When the inner wall 33 is in the first position adjacent the rear of the stalls 31, the coins passed through the coin receiving slots 29 will remain in the stalls 31. When the inner wall 33 is in the second position away from the stalls 31, the coins which pass into the stalls 31 from. the coin-receiving slots 29 will pass through the stalls 31 and into the coin vault 43. i

The coin vault 43 is lockably secured to the outer shell 13 by a second lock means 45. The second lock means 45 may be of the type having a lock 47, a first plate 49 attached to the coin vault 43 and having a slot 50 passing therethrough, and a second plate 51 attached to the outer shell 13 and passing through slot 50 when the coin vault 43 is mounted in the outer shell 13. The second plate 51 is provided with a hole 52 to allow the lock 47 to pass through, thereby locking the outer shell 13 and the coin vault 43 to each other.

A cover plate 53 is mounted adjacent the coin vault 43 and the substantially open back of the outer shell 13. The cover plate 53 is mounted to the interior of the outer shell 13 by a spring hinge 55 which forces the cover plate 53 against the inner wall 33. A retainer means 57 is provided on the inner wall 33 and coacts with the cover plate 53 to prevent the cover plate 53 from being pulled away from the inner wall 33. Thus access to the coin vault 43 from the substantially open back 15 of the outer shell 13 is blocked by cover plate has parked his car. At certain intervals, a first attendant comes by the parking lot to determine which parking spaces have been paid for and which have not. The first attendant, having access to the first lock means, removes the back plate 19 from the substantially open back 15 and viewsthe coin receiving stalls 31 through I the transparent inner wall 33 to determine which parking spaces have been paid for and which have not. If he finds a parking space that is occupied and finds no deposit in the corresponding coin receiving stall 31, he may place an envelope with a request for payment on the windshield of the automobile in the unpaid for parking space or in any known manner to those skilled in the art notify the delinquent customer. The first attendent may then move the inner wall 33 from the first position to thesecond position by pulling on the handle 37, thereby releasing the accumulated coins from the stalls 31 into the coin vault 43. It should be noted that the first attendent does not have access to the coin vault 43 because of the cover plate 53. A second attendant, having access to the second lock means 45, subsequently; e. g., at the end of the day, removes the coin I vault 43 from the outer shell 13 and collects the money.

Although theinvention has been described and illustrated with respect to a preferred embodiment thereof, it is not to be so limited since changes and modifications may be made therein which are within the full intended scope of the invention.

I claim: 1. A coin collection box for parking lots and like establishments comprising:

shell means having a substantially open back and a substantially closed front, and having coinreceiving slots in the substantially closed front; back plate means removably mounted on the substantially open back of said shell means; stall means for receiving coins passed through the coin-receiving slots, and beingfixedly attached to the interior of the substantially closed front of said shell means; an inner wall hingeably mounted in said shell means for movement from a first position adjacent the rear of said stall means to a second position away from said stall means; coin vault means for holding coins passed through said stall means and being removably mounted in said shell means; and cover plate means mounted adjacent said coin vault means and the substantially open back of said shell means for preventing access to said coin vault means through the substantially open back of said shell means. 2. The coin collection box of claim 1 in which said stall means are downwardly-sloping and rearwardlyopening for allowing the coins to pass from said stall means to said coin vault means when said inner wall is moved from the first position to the second position.

3. The coin collection box of claim 1 including first lock means for lockably securing said shell means and said back plate means to each other.

4. The coin collection box of claim 1 including second lock means for lockably securing said shell means and said coin vault means to each other.

5. The coin collection box of claim 1 in which said inner wall is constructed of transparent material for allowing visability of said stall means through the substantially open back ofsaid shell means when said back plate means is removed.

6. The coin collection box of claim 1 including retainer means mounted on said inner wall and coacting with said cover plate means for preventing said cover plate from being pulled away from said coin vault means so that access to said coin vault means from the substantially open back of said stall means is blocked.

. 7. The coin collection box of claim 1 including brace means mounted on said back plate means and coacting with said inner wall for preventing said inner wall from moving from the first position to the second position while said back plate means is mounted on the substantially open back of said shell means.

8. The coin collection box of claim 1 including handle means attached to said inner wall-for use in the movement of said inner wall from the first position to the second position.

9. A coin collection box for use in self-service parking lots and establishments comprising:

' shell means having substantially open back and a substantially closed front, and having coin-receiving slots and an access opening in the substantially closed front;

back plate means removably mountable on the substantially open back of said shell means;

first lock means for lockably securing said shell means and said back plate means to each other;

downwardly-sloping, rearwardly-opening stall means fixedly attached to the interior of the substantially closed front of, said shell means, the front of said stall means being in alignment with the coinreceiving slots for receiving coins therefrom;

a transparent inner wall hingeably mounted in said shell means for movement from a first position adjacent the rear of said stall means to a second position away from said stall means;

coin vault means removably mounted in the access opening in said shell means substantially beneath said stall means and said inner wall for holding coins passed through said stall means;

second lock means for lockably securing said shell means and said coin vault means to each other;

cover plate means mounted adjacent said coin vault means and the substantially open back of said shell means for blocking access to said coinvault means from the substantially open back of said shell means, said cover plate means being springingly forced towards said inner wall; and

retainer means mounted on said inner wall and coacting with said cover plate means to maintain said cover plate means in blocking relationship with said coin vault means. 

1. A coin collection box for parking lots and like establishments comprising: shell means having a substantially open back and a substantially closed front, and having coin-receiving slots in the substantially closed front; back plate means removably mounted on the substantially open back of said shell means; stall means for receiving coins passed through the coinreceiving slots, and being fixedly attached to the interior of the substantially closed front of said shell means; an inner wall hingeably mounted in said shell means for movement from a first position adjacent the rear of said stall means to a second position away from said stall means; coin vault means for holding coins passed through said stall means and being removably mounted in said shell means; and cover plate means mounted adjacent said coin vault means and the substantially open back of said shell means for preventing access to said coin vault means through the substantially open back of said shell means.
 2. The coin collection box of claim 1 in which said stall means are downwardly-sloping and rearwardly-opening for allowing the coins to pass from said stall means to said coin vault means when said inner wall is moved from the first position to the second position.
 3. The coin collection box of claim 1 including first lock means for lockably securing said shell means and said back plate means to each other.
 4. The coin collection box of claim 1 including second lock means for lockably securing said shell means and said coin vault means to each other.
 5. The coin collection box of claim 1 in which said inner wall is constructed of transparent material for allowing visability of said stall means through the substantially open back of said shell means when said back plate means is removed.
 6. The coin collection box of claim 1 including retainer means mounted on said inner wall and coacting with said cover plate means for preventing said cover plate from being pulled away from said coin vault means so that access to said coin vault means from the substantially open back of said stall means is blocked.
 7. The coin collection box of claim 1 including brace means mounted on said back plate means and coacting with said inner wall for preventing said inner wall from moving from the first position to the second position while said back plate means is mounted on the substantially open back of said shell means.
 8. The coin collection box of claim 1 including handle means attached to said inner wall for use in the movement of said inner wall from the first position to the second position.
 9. A coin collection box for use in self-service parking lots and establishments comprising: shell means having substantially open back and a substantially closed front, and having coin-receiving slots and an access opening in the substantially closed front; back plate means removably mountable on the substantially open back of said shell means; first lock means for lockably securing said shell means and said back plate means to each other; downwardly-sloping, rearwardly-opening stall means fixedly attached to the interior of the substantially closed front of said shell means, the front of said stall means being in alignment with the coin-receiving slots for receiving coins therefrom; a transparent inner wall hingeably mounted in said shell means for movement from a first position adjacent the rear of said stall means to a second position away from said stall means; coin vault means removably mounted in the access opening in said shell means substantially beneath said stall means and said inner wall for holding coins passed through said stall means; second lock means for lockably securing said shell means and said coin vault means to each other; cover plate means mounted adjacent said coin vault means and the substantially open back of said shell means for blocking access to said coin vault means from the substantially open back of said shell means, said cover plate means being springingly forced towards said inner wall; and retainer means mounted on said inner wall and coacting with said cover plate means to maintain said cover plate means in blocking relationship with said coin vault means. 